Bernhard Hamester

Bernhard Hamester
Born	21 October 1913 Dahmker
Died	22 April 1945 (aged 31) Trebbin
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1940–45
Rank	Major
Unit	StG 2 StG 3 SG 102 SG 10 SG 3
Commands held	Schlachtgeschwader 3
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of France Battle of Britain Battle of Crete North African Campaign Battle of Berlin
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Bernhard Hamester (21 October 1913 – 22 April 1945) was a highly decorated Major in the Luftwaffe during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. During his career he flew 400+ missions. Bernhard Hamester was killed on 22 April 1945 after being hit by Soviet fire near Trebbin, Germany.

Awards and decorations

• Aviator badge
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold (9 April 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 3 September 1942 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of III./Sturzkampfgeschwader 3^[1]

References

Citations

1. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 176.

Bibliography

• Brütting, Georg (1992) [1976]. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 [These were the German Stuka Aces 1939 – 1945] (in German) (7th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Volume II Dive Bomber and Attack Aircraft] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Luftwaffe 1939-1945 History
• Ritterkreuztraeger 1939-1945